Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to e-commerce systems and more particularly to in-store tools supporting in-store shopping.
Description of the Related Art
Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a term generally used for any type of business, or commercial transaction, that involves the transfer of information across the Internet. The backbone of e-commerce is online shopping. Online shopping virtualizes the traditional in-store shopping experience by providing a view to a “store” through a Web browser and a virtualized shopping cart into which the online shopper may place selected items for purchase. At the convenience of the online shopper, the cart can be processed during checkout, payment received and delivery of the purchased items.
Unlike the in-store shopping experience, in an online shopping environment, the entirety of a virtual store can be accessed by the online shopper with little more than a few keystrokes and mouse clicks. Navigating the items available for purchase in the online store requires the use of one of several convenient tools, such as a search interface, or a browsable catalog, often organized hierarchically for the convenience of the online shopper. Desired information pertaining to a product of interest can be obtained by the online shopper either through embedded information provided at the online store, or externally through third-party Web sites. Thus, online shopping provides a wealth of convenience for the ordinary online shopper.
Much of the convenience of online shopping, however, is not present in the environment of in-store shopping. In this regard, as a matter of practicality, short of performing online shopping whilst present in the store, navigating the items available for purchase requires the physical movement of the in-store shopper throughout the store and presupposes the in-store shopper is aware of the location of all desired items in the store. Obtaining desired information regarding an item depends heavily on the presence of a sales associate within the store and positionally proximate to the in-store shopper. Yet, as is commonly understood, not all stores are staffed with enough sales associates to provide real-time on demand sales assistance when sought by an in-store shopper.